1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to various image processing apparatuses, such as a printer, a copier and a document reading apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image processing apparatus performs a variety of image processing, such as a copy mode, a print mode, a scanner mode and a facsimile mode. Such an image processing apparatus includes a document feeding apparatus for feeding a document having information recorded therein to a document mount (contact glass) for reading image information and a paper feeding apparatus for feeding the read image information to a printing portion for printing it on recording paper. These apparatuses feed a bundle of documents or paper sheet by sheet to the document mount or the printing portion.
When feeding a sheet such as the document or the recording paper, there are the cases where multiple sheets are overlappingly fed due to static electricity, humidity or the like. For that reason, the fed sheets lag in a feeding path and a sheet jam (hereinafter referred to as a jam) occurs. In the case where the jam occurs, the location where the jam has occurred is detected so as to remove a jammed sheet and then resume processing. However, there is a possibility, for instance, that minute remainder such as pieces and bits is remaining when removing the sheet. In this case, there is a possibility that the jam may occur again upon resuming the processing.
Thus, as indicated in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-108968, a disclosure has been made as to a paper jam resolving method of feeding a test sheet before resuming the processing and detecting whether or not the jam has been resolved and a apparatus thereof.
According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-108968, the processing is resumed after the test sheet is ejected from a paper path. As for such a method, it takes time before the test sheet passes through the entire paper path in the case where the paper path has a long overall length. In that case, there is a problem that high-speed printing process as an object of the current image processing apparatus cannot be achieved.
Thus, in view of the problem, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus which can promptly detect whether or not the jam has been removed in the case of occurrence of the jam such as a paper jam.